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Seamus Nolan

From 31st of March to the 27th of April 2007 the top floor of the Clarke Tower, one of the last remaining tower blocks in Ballymun, opened its doors to the public in the form of a unique short stay hotel.
Artist Seamus Nolan was commissioned by Breaking Ground, the Ballymun Regeneration per cent for art scheme, to undertake a new work in this changing suburb of Dublin.

Nolan, who developed and researched his project locally for the past twelve months, enlisted the help and support of Ballymun's vibrant network of community groups and worked collaboratively towards the conversion of the former flats into short-stay hotel rooms. Hotel Ballymun also featured an eclectic programme of art, music, seminars and social events, curated by the artist.

Hotel Ballymun re-considers the utopian architecture of 1960’s Ballymun and encourages the practice of salvaging and re-imagining objects, spaces and resources from the past, which can be re-used inventively to meet contemporary needs.

The result, though minimalist and economic in its aesthetic, was resonant with character and unexpected interventions - in contrast to many of today’s new apartment blocks and hotels. A catologue documenting the project will be launched in September 2007.